CPI, the second major party in the Left Democratic Front, which was voted to power in the May 16 assembly polls in Kerala, Monday finalised its list of four ministers, all being new faces. CPI leadership has decided to omit senior leaders C. Divakaran and Mullakkara Ratnakaran from its list of ministers who will take oath Wednesday.

All the four ministers from CPI are first­timers ­ E. Chandrasekharan, V.S. Sunil Kumar, P. Thilothaman and K. Raju. V

. Sasi will be the Deputy Speaker. It was decided earlier that CPM would get the Speaker post and CPI the Deputy Speaker post.

There will be no issues: Kanam

Announcing the CPI list, State secretary Kanam Rajendran told reporters that there was nothing new in fielding new faces now, as the party had followed the same pattern in 2006.

The CPI State Executive and State committee met Monday and ratified the names of the new ministers. “We wanted to select new faces and all of them have experience as members in the assembly,

” Kanam said when asked about the reported unhappiness of Divakaran and Ratnakaran not being made ministers. “There will be no issues, do not anticipate any trouble,” he told reporters.

Sources said that CPI’s national leadership has also given its consent to the list of ministers.

What worked against Divakaran, Mullakkara

Sources from CPI suggested difference of opinion stemmed within the party over the choice of ministers.

It is learnt that the party’s Kollam district committee has raised objections to the move to avoid senior leaders, including C. Divakaran and Mullakkara Ratnakaran, from the ministry. The party leadership had decided that former ministers need not be given another chance.

Both Divakaran and Mullakkara were hoping to be ministers for a second term. The party was against fielding Divakaran as he was found guilty in a payment seat row after the Lok Sabha polls in 2014. Though he was not fielded in Karunagappally, his sitting seat, he emerged winner from Nedumangad this time.

Sensing that he might lose the chance to become a minister, Divakaran had been arguing that the ministry should have experienced hands also.

No cabinet berth for Bijimol too

A section of the party leaders had been pressurising for giving a cabinet berth to Peermade MLA E.S. Bijimol also.

Another LDF ally, NCP, is also yet to finalise who should represent the party in the cabinet.